Birth Pains
by Sigh-cology
Summary: Post- Rent / Sequel to "9th Wonder" / Mark has a baby! Well, not him exactly- you know what I mean. Something that just popped into my head a few hours ago. Dunno if I'll continue it so r/r (warning: it's fluffy and dorky and all that mushy stuff)
1. Default Chapter

A/N: This is just something I wrote to get my mind off... certain... things. I don't know if I'll continue it- depends on what you guys think, I guess. It's not finished (obviously) and I have no clue if it's accurate or not (all I had to go on was a snippet from my old developmental psych books) but I think it's pretty right in terms of technical stuff.... Anyway, I think it's goofy and a lil bit of fun.   
  
WARNING: This will not make sense unless you read "9th Wonder" (my first crappy ass Rentfic). To recap- Mark has a girlfried. Girlfriend is pregnant. This is the story of that birth.....  
  
Disclaimer: None of mine. Except for Karalynn.  
  
  
  
Stage One: 0-9 hours  
  
Did I wet the bed?  
Mark opened his eyes. He imagined he could hear his eyelids creaking and he groaned.  
Twenty five years old and I wet the bed? Mark thought, incredulous.   
He turned over on his back and winced.  
The mattress underneath his lower body was uncomfortably damp. He rubbed his eyes with one hand and reached for his glasses on the bedside table. He blinked, trying to get the haze out of his vision.  
"Wait. I've never wet the bed." Mark said out loud. "Not even when I was a little kid. Mom said..."  
"Shuddup." a soft, hoarse voice said beside him. "Sleep. Go. Back. To. Sleep."  
Mark grinned, momentarily forgetting the dampness underneath him and sat up.   
Karalynn lay on her side. Her eyes were closed but her mouth was already curved down in a frown. Her hands were on her large belly, as if she were protectively holding the baby she had inside even in sleep.  
"Morning grouch." he said, leaning down. He kissed the corner of her mouth and her lips curled up in a small smile.   
"Sleep. Mark. Sleep." she said, turning her face away. Mark moved his leg and made a face when it came into contact with more wet material. He pulled the blankets off of their bodies and looked down. Karalynn gasped and pushed herself up to a sitting position.  
All the liquid had come from Karalynn's side of the bed.  
"Uh, Kar?" Mark said, putting his hand on her arm. "Kar? Kara?"  
He shook her arm and she shook his hand off.   
"Dammit, Mark, what is it?" she asked, sounding annoyed. "Do you want me to rip your head off now or later? Because pulling the blankets off of me like that..."  
"Kara, I think your water broke." he said quietly.  
Her mouth stopped moving and her gray eyes flew down to the darkening mass of water on the bedsheet. She looked at him and blinked.  
"Mark, I think so too."  
"You mean, you didn't notice?"  
Her cheeks turned a slight shade of pink and she lowered her eyes to his chin.   
"I was sleeping." she said defensively and Mark knew that she slept like a log ever since her fifth month. It was just one of the many things he knew about her now. He jumped out of the bed and moved to the other side before she could even swing her legs over the edge of the bed. Though the rest of her body had remained relatively slim, her large stomach had slowed her movements down considerably. He held out his hands and she held onto him gratefully as he pulled her up.  
"You really didn't feel your water break?" he asked, grinning suddenly. She threw her arm around his shoulders as he led her outside into the livingroom. His arm was pressed firmly around her lower back.  
She glared at him.  
"No, I was sleeping!" she said. "I told you!"  
He laughed and put her down on the couch.   
"I believe you!" he said, looking down at her. "It's just, you know, funny. Weird. In a cute way. I thought women knew when they were going to have babies. You and I both read all those baby books..."  
Her gray eyes narrowed and she put both hands on top of her stomach.  
"Hey, it's my first time." she muttered. "And I was sleeping."  
Mark laughed as he ran back inside the bedroom. He opened the closet and pulled out her small suitcase. They had packed it two weeks ago, going over what she would need at the hospital.  
As quickly as he could, he pulled a pair of pants over his boxers, put on some socks and stuffed his feet into his shoes. He took his camera from the nightstand and placed it on top of the suitcase. He was about to grab a coat from her side of the closet when he heard a loud cry of pain from the livingroom.  
With his heart racing in his chest, he dashed outside.  
Karalynn's eyes were shut and her mouth had been pulled into a tight line of pain. She was gripping the arm of the couch so hard that her fingers were turning white. Mark kneeled down and rubbed her back. Her eyes opened and she looked at him with a helpless, open look he rarely saw.  
"It hurts." she whimpered. "Oh God, Mark, it hurts. Ow."  
"Okay. Okay. I'll call a cab, okay? Do you want an ambulance, instead? Do you want me to drive like we planned? Because I can do all those things, okay, Kar? Just say the word." he said, stroking her hair. Her forehead had grown shiny with sweat and her eyes had filled with tears. "We'll be at the hospital soon, Kar. I promise."  
She was scared. Terrified.  
And out of the many things Karalynn was, she was rarely ever scared  
She looked up at Mark and shook her head.  
"Not soon, Mark. Now."  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
"We got here as soon as we could!"  
Mark flicked on his camera and looked up. Roger and Mimi were standing at the door, peering inside the hospital room with identical frightened looks on their faces. Mark wanted to laugh but he knew it wasn't appropriate. Instead he smiled, aimed the camera at them and waved them in.  
"Hey guys, come in." he said.   
Roger and Mimi both smiled in relief and walked in.  
Roger stopped when he saw the curled up figure on the bed.  
"How is she?" Roger whispered to Mark.   
Mark lowered his camera slightly and tilted his head to look at Roger.   
He hesitated before he answered.  
"Uh, she's... good." Mark said slowly, glancing back at her.  
His scalp still throbbed painfully from the taxi ride to the hospital. During one of her contractions, Karalynn had grabbed Mark's hair.   
Apparently, she had meant to grab his hand.   
With each minute, Karalynn's temper had grown darker and deeper until she had stopped speaking altogether.  
Mark would have preferred a curse word or two, even a screaming fit at his expense- anything but this strange glassy-eyed look of pain.  
She hadn't said a word for over an hour and it made him nervous.  
"Does it hurt that bad?" Roger whispered loudly.  
"Gee, if I ripped off your head and shoved it up your ass and then tried to pull it back out, d'ya think that would hurt?" Karalynn said sharply, surprising all three of them.  
Roger opened his mouth to say something but Mimi shot him a look that told him to keep quiet.  
She walked over to the side of Karalynn's bed and began to stroke the other woman's hair.  
"Shh, honey, keep breathing okay?" Mimi said soothingly. "Just inhale and then exhale, Chica."  
"I don't want to keep breathing!" Karalynn whined loudly.   
Mark and Mimi looked at each other and he handed his camera to Mimi.   
Mimi stepped aside and walked back to Roger, keeping the camera on the other couple.  
Mark kissed her forehead and then brushed the damp strands away from her brow.   
"At least you're talking." he said, smiling slightly. "See, Roger is good to have around sometimes."  
Anger seemed to cut through the haze in her gray eyes but then it disappeared.   
"How many more minutes til the next one?" she asked, fearfully. Mark glanced up at the clock and forced his expression blank. She was due another contraction at any moment.  
"In awhile." he said. He leaned forward and kissed her on the lips. They were damp and cold. "Hey, do you want another blanket? Another pillow, maybe?"  
"No, I want..."   
Karalynn's eyes grew so large that Mark could see his reflection in them.   
"Mark, you liar!"  
She bit down and squeezed her eyes shut as her body curled up into itself. She made no sound but her hands gripped the metal pole of the hospital bed with such force that Mark was afraid she would bend it.   
She'll probably break my hand but oh well, Mark thought.   
With effort, he pried her fingers from the pole and winced when she clutched his hand.  
"Breathe, Kar." he whispered into her ear. "Remember, inhale. Hold..... now exhale."  
But it was pointless. She held her breath and tightened her entire body against the pain. She grew even paler and she twisted her face down onto the pillow.   
Mark shoved the metal guard down and pushed his other arm underneath her shoulders, pulling her close against him.   
"Okay, it's okay." he murmured into her ear.   
He heard her exhale the breath she had been holding.   
"It's just Nick, Kar. He just wants to come out, okay? It's nothing to be afraid of. Remember all those classes we took together? All those books we read together? It's okay."  
His glasses fogged up when she raised her head to look at him and he casually wiped them clear. She was all sweat and tears and somehow that made her seem all the more beautiful to him.  
"I don't want him to come out anymore." she moaned. "It hurts. Keep him inside, Mark, please?"  
"God, is she whining?" Roger whispered into Mimi's ear. "I mean, it can't be that bad, can it? I thought it was only supposed to feel like cramps or something. You never get that bad when it's your time of the month...."  
Mimi elbowed him lightly in his stomach and lowered the camera.   
She looked up at him, annoyed.  
"Roger, when this is over and the baby is born, don't stand next to me." Mimi hissed.  
"Why not?"  
"Because she's going to come after you and I don't want to be there when it happens."  
  
----------------------------------------  
  
  
"It's still going to be awhile." the doctor said, looking up from the chart. She smiled warmly at Mark and then at Karalynn. "First births are always a little longer."  
Mark smiled back at her and reached up to stroke Karalynn's hair but she pushed his hand away and stared at the doctor.  
"How long do I have to go?" she asked grimly.  
"You know, stage one is usually ten to sixteen hours, hun." Mark said. "It's only been six hours and..."  
Karalynn turned her icy gaze towards him and he shivered involuntarily.  
"Well, Karalynn, you're only about four centimeters right now." the doctor said. "It's going to be a few more hours. Try to relax, you're doing wonderfully. You seem a little dehydrated though so perhaps you should have some water."  
Karalynn sighed and leaned back, shaking her head.  
"Well, your husband should get some for you." the doctor said, looking meaningfully at Mark. "Just in case you get thirsty later."  
Mark looked up and shook his head, feeling his cheeks grow warm. Before he could say anything, Karalynn burst into a shocking fit of tears.  
"He's not my husband!" she wailed. "We're not even married!"  
Mark moved closer towards her and put his arms around her as best he could. He pressed his mouth against her damp cheek and rubbed her back.  
"We will be, Kar. Remember?" he said, murmuring into her ear. "Shh. It's okay. In a month, remember? Thirty days. Just thirty days."  
"But we're still having this baby out of wedlock! God! There's some kind of punishment for this, isn't there?"   
The doctor moved away discreetly and stared at the chart in her hands.  
Karalynn's chest hitched and Mark stroked her curved belly gently.  
"It's okay, Kar. We will be married. It's okay." he said. He smiled against her skin. "This never bothered you before. Since when did you get so religious?"   
Karalynn sniffled and moved her head slightly towards him. Mark could almost taste her tears on his lips.   
"I'm not religious." she said sulkily. "I'm just saying."  
Mark knew that the crying fit had passed and he hugged her as tightly as he could without hurting her. With one hand, he picked up her hand and let her engagement ring sparkle in the hospital light.  
"See that?" he said. "Remember the night I proposed?"  
Karalynn nodded.  
"You asked me to get your camera in the bedroom." she said.   
"And you said you didn't want to get it." Mark said. "Because..."  
"Because it was your own damn camera and you should get it yourself." Karalynn finished. She grinned suddenly and it was like seeing the sun break through the clouds on a gray day. "But you kept nagging me so I did and the ring was on top of your camera."   
Mark kissed her cheek and lowered her hand.  
"Yeah, remember, Kar? I asked you to marry me." he said softly. "That was seven months ago. Just one more month to go and we'll be married. Just one month."  
Karalynn sniffed again but she was still smiling.  
The doctor looked up and put the chart back on the table.   
"Well, I'll be back in an hour or two." she said brightly. "Once again, you're doing great Karalynn. Just relax and try to keep breathing."  
She headed towards the door but turned around and caught Mark's eye.  
WATER, she mouthed.  
Mark nodded.  
  
----------------------------------------  
  
Mark was stroking her stomach when Collins peeked inside the room.  
"Hey, did I miss anything?" he said in a low voice. "Has the little guy come out yet?"  
Mark looked up and grinned when he saw who it was. He shook his head and Collins walked in, smiling back.  
"She's at six centimeters now." Mark said quietly. "Only four more to go."   
Collins glanced at Karalynn who was lightly dozing.   
"She looks good." Collins said appreciatively. "The way Roger made it sound, I was afraid she was going to be either wielding a sword or screaming her head off in pain."  
Mark rolled his eyes and laughed.   
Karalynn made a small sound of annoyance and Mark kissed her cheek.  
"Hey, wanna say hi to Collins?" he asked. "Or you can keep napping if you want."  
Her eyes fluttered open and she smiled.  
"Hi Collins." she said, sleepily. Her glazed gray eyes looked at Mark strangely. "Did you just say 'napping'?"   
Mark blushed and shrugged.  
"Sleeping. Taking a nap. Dozing. Whatever." he muttered. He raised his eyes to Collins again.   
"Speaking of Roger, where is the happy couple?"   
Collins gestured towards the door.  
"They're in the waiting room with Maureen and Joanne." he said. "Maureen and I had a coin toss to decide who came in first. I still have ten minutes left until she comes bouncing in here."   
"Great. Maureen. Just what I need." Karalynn said grumpily. She tugged on Mark's sweater and Mark helped her sit up. "Collins, can't you just lock the door now and wait until I have the baby to open it again?"  
Collins grinned. "I can do that. But Maureen will probably break it down with her stiletto high heels."   
"Christ, she wore those to the hospital?" Karalynn said. She shook her head in disgust. "That woman."  
As if on cue, the door flew open and Maureen skipped in happily with Joanne in tow.   
Joanne threw Mark a look.  
I'm sorry, her eyes seemed to say.  
I am really, really sorry, Mark.  
Mark smiled slightly at her and nodded.  
I know how Maureen is, it's okay, Joanne.  
"Sorry Collins, I couldn't wait!" Maureen said brightly. Her aforementioned stiletto heels clicked merrily on the tiled floor. "I really, really wanted to see how Mark and Kara were doing!'   
Mark glanced at Karalynn. She slumped down in her bed and pulled the blankets up to her chest, eyeing Maureen warily.  
"We're doing fine, Maureen." Mark said, smiling at the short blonde. "The doctor says it's only a few more hours now until...."  
Maureen walked over to the other side of Karalynn's bed and peered up at her.   
In response, Karalynn moved away sharply, nearly pushing Mark off of the bed.   
"Aw, Kara, you look so pretty." she said softly, tilting her head. She reached out and took hold of a few strands of her black hair. "Hey, do you want me to brush your hair for you? It's supposed to help you relax which I think you might need right now."  
Mark glanced down at Karalynn's face to gauge her reaction. To his surprise, she seemed to be considering the offer.   
"Weeeeell..." Karalynn said slowly.  
Mark slipped off the bed and grabbed Karalynn's overnight bag which had been laying ignored at her table. He pulled out a brush and held it up for Karalynn to see.  
"I brought a brush." he said, smiling. "Your favorite one too. With the brown bristles."  
Karalynn opened her mouth but before she could utter a word, a nurse walked through the door and frowned at the crowd in the room.  
"Excuse me, but only one person can be in this room at a time." she said, shaking her finger. "So that means three of you have to go."  
Mark, Maureen, Collins and Joanne looked at each other and then looked down at Karalynn.   
"Can I be one of the ones that leave?" she muttered.   
Collins smiled down at her and winked.  
"I don't think so." he said. He glanced at Mark and then at Maureen. "But I do think that Mark needs to grab something to eat. Roger said that he hasn't been out of here since ten this morning. That was nearly nine hours ago."  
Mark looked at Karalynn and shrugged, smiling innocently.  
"Well, I am kinda hungry..." he began. Karalynn's eyes widened and she looked at him and then at Maureen.  
"No, Mark, you don't mean..."  
"She can comb your hair for you." Mark said. Karalynn shook her head violently and sat up with a struggle.  
"Mark, no, you can't leave me with her. You can't!" she cried out. "I'll end up killing her, I swear. She's not right in the head!"  
Maureen frowned. "You know, I'm standing right here, Karalynn..."  
"And what will happen if I have a contraction while you're gone?" Karalynn whimpered. Her gray eyes filled with tears. "I can't go through that without you, Mark."  
Maureen sat down on the edge of her bed.   
"My sister had a baby and I was there the whole time." she said soothingly. "I know what to do, Karalynn. I'm not completely incompetent...."  
Karalynn growled at her.  
Mark held Karalynn's hand and squeezed it.  
"It's okay, Kar." he said. "If you really don't want me to go, I won't. I'll just have someone bring me something to eat up here and..."  
"Uh uh." the nurse said. "No food allowed in these rooms."  
Mark glanced up at her.   
He looked back at Karalynn and smiled weakly.  
"Okay, if you want me to stay, I'll stay." he said. "No problem."  
Karalynn looked up into his blue eyes and sighed resignedly.  
"I hate it when you look at me like that." she muttered. "Fine. Leave me with the drama queen. See if I care. I'll just have the baby without you."  
Mark shook his head and sat down.   
"I'm not going to leave you if you want me to stay, Karalynn." he said firmly. "That's not how things work between us, remember? If you want me here, then this is where I'm staying. You know I am not going anywhere."  
Karalynn pulled her hand back and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand.   
She sniffled.  
"It's okay, Mark." she said. "Collins is right. You've been here the whole time and you're hungry. You should eat. I won't be mad. An hour with her won't kill me."  
"Are you sure?"  
She smiled at him and nodded even as tears slid down her cheeks.  
"Yeah. I'm sure." she said. She began to cry harder. "I hope they have the t-tea you like here. I hope the water is hot enough. I know you hate it when... when the water is t-t-too t-t-tepid..."  
Mark looked up at Collins helplessly and Collins shrugged back.  
"I don't think I should go." he said, worriedly. "She's really upset..."  
The nurse coughed and Maureen threw her an angry glare.   
She waved her hand at Mark and smiled.   
"Babe, you go on ahead and grab a bite to eat." she said confidently. "Trust me, I've been through this once before with my sister. She cried at everything right before she gave birth. It's normal. It's the hormones, believe me."  
Mark looked back at Karalynn, frowning.  
"Kar?..."  
"I'll be fine, Mark." she said, tearfully. "I'm sure Maureen won't break me or anything."  
Mark leaned forward and kissed her lightly on her forehead. He took off his scarf and wrapped it around her shoulders. He wiped her tears with one end and Karalynn smiled.  
"Smells like you." she whispered.  
Mark smiled back and tickled her nose with the frayed strings.  
"I'll be right back, Kar. I promise." he said.   
She nodded and Mark stood up.   
He took an empty tape from the bag and walked to his camera, which had been sitting on a table on the other side of the room, aimed at Karalynn's bed. He replaced the tape inside it with the new one and set it aside.   
Then he followed Collins and Joanne towards the door.   
The nurse held the door open for all of them and lingered at the doorway while Mark walked out.  
As the nurse closed the door, Maureen uttered two words that brought a smile to Mark's lips and a gasp from the nurse.  
"Cruel bitch!" 


	2. 2

A/N: Shall I go on? Read and review if you want more (or don't.) =) ... This story is so incredibly mushy it's disturbing me. But it's a nice change of pace from my other fic....  
  
  
  
Stage One: 9-12 hours  
  
  
"How are you holding up, man?"   
Mark put down his cup of tea and looked at Roger.  
"I'm good." he said but his pale face gave him away.   
He stared at the steaming beverage in front of him and Roger, Mimi, Collins and Joanne all looked at each other, worried.  
"Mark, honey, you don't look so well." Mimi said soothingly. She reached out across the table and held his hand. "What's the matter?"  
Mark's lips trembled and his blue eyes began to water behind his glasses.  
"Nothing, I said I'm... I'm..." Mark's chest hitched.  
Collins silently passed him a napkin.  
"I'm scared!" he wailed and buried his face in his arms on the table. "Oh my God, I'm going to be a father!"  
Roger stood and walked over to where Mark sat. He threw his heavy arm around the smaller man's shoulders and shook his head.  
"Hey, you had nine months to think about this and now you're scared?" Roger said, grinning. "Jesus Christ, Mark, now is not the time to fall apart on us."  
"Roger!" Mimi cried out. "Say something to comfort him, not freak him out even more!"  
Mark sobbed into his arms and people began to turn and look at the blonde man who was crying loudly in the hospital cafeteria.  
Roger noticed them and frowned.  
"What the fuck are you looking at?" he snapped at some of them and Collins shook his head.  
"Nevermind them, Roger." he muttered. He put his hand on Mark's arm and shook it gently.   
"Mark?" he said gently. "Mark, come on. Mark?"  
Mark sniffled and raised his head a little bit, peering at Collins with magnified tears.  
"What exactly is it that you're scared about?" Collins asked gently.   
Mark wiped his face and pushed his glasses up on his nose with one finger.   
"I'm going to have a baby." he said in a shaky voice.   
"Technically, Kara's the one who's going to have the baby..." Roger interrupted and Mimi glared at him.   
He made a face but closed his mouth.  
"Okay, so you're going to be a father." Collins said slowly as if he were talking to a child. "As crudely as Roger put it earlier, you've known that for nine months."  
"But... now it's actually going to be... real." Mark said weakly. He slumped down in his chair and shook his head. "God, I'm going to fuck everything up. I know it. I mean, what the hell do I know about holding a baby? Or feeding one? Or..."  
"Changing a diaper?" Roger said, smirking. Mark looked at him strangely and Roger stared back.  
"I'm not in the mood for jokes, Roge." Mark said.   
Roger stopped smiling and sat up.   
"Okay, you want the truth, Mark?" he said seriously. "Maybe you don't know anything about anything. So what? Who really knows anything about being a parent before the baby pops out? And it's not like you and Kara didn't prepare for this. How much did you guys spend on those weird french breathing classes..."  
"Lamaze." Mark muttered.  
"Yeah." Roger said, rolling his eyes. "La-whatever. How much did you spend on those? On books? On baby stuff? Christ, I think the kid has more outfits than you have. You are prepared, Mark. Don't worry about it. Besides, didn't you have those doll things to practice on?"  
"That's different." Mark said, sullen. "Those were plastic babies. You couldn't hurt them. And I...."  
Mark's face trembled again and Roger motioned for Collins to hand over more napkins.  
"I kept..."   
Mark's eyes began to water once more.  
"I kept dropping them!" Mark wailed.   
He covered his face with his hands and sobbed.   
"I kept dropping the stupid plastic dolls during class and Karalynn kept getting mad at me! Fuck, even the instructor got mad at me! They just looked so real and weird..."  
Roger's mouth twisted up in a smile and he struggled to keep a straight face.   
He looked at Mimi, afraid that she would notice and get mad at him again but saw that she was trying not to laugh either.   
Collins looked down and covered his mouth, trying to hide the smile that was forming on his lips.  
Joanne cleared her throat and looked away, grinning.  
"They weren't moving or anything but it was so freaky!" Mark sobbed, not noticing them. "They were staring at me with those weird glass eyes and I'm such a fucking clumsy ass that I...."  
Roger couldn't stop the wild burst of laughter that escaped his lips.   
Mark looked up sharply, annoyed and Mimi, Joanne, and Collins began to laugh as well.   
"Hey!" Mark exclaimed. "It's not funny! What if I drop my baby? My own son? That's not funny, guys!"  
Roger's shoulders moved up and down and he wiped the tears that had formed in the corner of his eyes. His face was bright red and he was having a hard time breathing.   
"We're sorry, Mark." Mimi said, giggling into her palm. "We feel your pain. We really do. It's just the idea of you dropping one of those plastic dolls..."  
"Because you w-were s-scared of them!" Roger said, laughing out loud. "Oh God, maybe you are in trouble, Mark."  
Mark crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair, frowning.   
"You know we're laughing with you, not at you..." Joanne began but Roger shook his head.  
"No, we are laughing at you!" Roger said.   
Mark's frown grew deeper. He stared at his cup of tea, now disgustingly warm and sighed.  
Roger's laughter faded and he looked over at Mark who was once again, close to tears.  
"Mark, dammit, come on." Roger said. He ruffled Mark's hair and smiled good-naturedly. "I'm kidding, man. Really."  
"I tell you guys how I feel and you laugh at me." Mark grumbled. "I can't let Karalynn know how I feel. She's already scared and in pain. I can't unload all of this on her. And now you guys are laughing at me."  
Roger glanced at his other three friends and they all slowly stopped laughing.   
"Hey, it's only funny because it seems like you're worried over nothing, Mark." Collins said smoothly. "Roger's right. You and Karalynn have planned for this for months. You're just tired and stressed out which is only natural for someone in your position. I'm sure you won't drop your child, Mark."  
Mark shook his head.   
"It's not just that." he sighed. "It's everything else too. I mean, what if I'm not a good dad? What if I fuck him up? What if... what if..."  
Roger snorted.  
"What if the world ends and you're left standing in your boxers?" Roger said. "I mean, come on, Mark. You're thinking way too hard about this."  
"Mark, honey, you'll be a great father." Mimi said. She tilted her head to the side and smiled sweetly at him. "You're kind, you're loving, you're patient. The fact that you're so worried about being a good dad shows that you will be a good dad."  
"And Karalynn strikes me as the kind of woman who wouldn't stick with a man that wouldn't be a good father to her child." Joanne said, chiming in. "I'm sure she would have left a long time ago if she thought you were inadequate."  
Mark looked at her, deadpan.   
"Thanks." he said dryly. "I'll try to keep that in mind."  
Joanne sighed.   
"You know what I mean, Mark." she said. "Karalynn trusts you because she knows you'll do a great job. You'll be a wonderful father, Mark. You learn as you go along, that's all. You can't expect to know everything now anyway. You just feel your way along, I guess."  
Mark nodded and stared at his hands on the table.  
"Mark, cheer up, man." Roger said, slapping him on the back "If you mess this one up, you can always start over again with another kid."  
Mark looked up at him slowly, incredulous.  
"What do you mean, another kid?"  
  
  
  
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"Karalynn, I think you just broke my finger."  
"Shut up! It hurts!"  
Maureen winced as Karalynn squeezed her hand harder. She was moaning loudly and her sweat drenched face was bright pink. Her legs twisted her sheets into a damp, wrinkled ball at the foot of her bed.  
"Karalynn, maybe you should keep the blankets on..."  
"No! Hot... flashes..."  
"Uh, I thought that only happened during menopause..."  
"You! Shut! Up!" Karalynn cried out. "Oh God... drugs! Drugs! I want drugs now!"  
The doctor handed Maureen a towel and with one hand, she awkwardly patted Karalynn's forehead. Karalynn swatted her hand away and glared, bleary-eyed, at her.  
"Touch me again and you'll be eating that tow...Oooooh!" Karalynn stopped midsentence and moaned.   
"Karalynn, you're almost at stage two." the doctor said soothingly over her moans. "You're doing a great job. Just keep breathing..."  
"OW!"   
"...just keep breathing. Try to focus the pain inward..."  
"You can take your focus and shove it up your..."  
"... and relax."  
Karalynn whimpered as the contraction faded away and she lay on her side, crying.   
The doctor gently rubbed her lower back and Maureen took that space of time to pry Karalynn's iron fingers off of her hand. She stared with wide eyes at her crooked fingers and the bright red indentations Karalynn had made on her skin.  
"Karalynn, how are you feeling now?" the doctor said, massaging her back. "Are you breathing okay?"  
Karalynn sniffled and stared at the wall with wet eyes.  
"When the next contraction hits, we can give you something to lessen the pain a bit. How does that sound?"  
"A bit?" Karalynn said, miserable. "Can't you just knock me out and then wake me up again when he's out?"  
The doctor laughed and Karalynn twisted up to look at her.  
"I wasn't kidding."  
"I know." the doctor said. "I can give you an epidural, if you'd like but..."  
"No buts. Just do it." Karalynn muttered.   
The doctor nodded. "Okay, I'll send for the anesthesiologist and we can begin the procedure immediately. However, I should warn you that it may take an hour for the anesthetic to take effect and you're already so close to..."  
"Do it!"  
"An epidural can actually slow labor down a bit and prolong the process. You're actually experiencing a quite normal birthing situation and..."  
"Do it!"  
"...and it might harm the baby. There's a slight chance that the drugs could cause problems in your newborn."  
Karalynn whimpered and covered her eyes with her hand. Her chest hitched again and Maureen looked down at her, frowning.  
"She's in a lot of pain, doctor." Maureen said quietly.   
"I know. I'll give her an epidural but I just want her to know the risks involved." she said. "It's her decision. Many mothers do need drugs to help them over the pain hump but I always let the mother know the potential risks."  
"Fuck it." Karalynn said, lowering her hand. She looked up at Maureen with tear-filled eyes. "I won't take the drugs. Not if it might hurt the baby."  
Maureen bent down and looked into her eyes.  
"Are you sure, pookie? I'm sure Mark doesn't want you in this much pain."  
Karalynn shook her head and looked away.  
"I'm sure. I don't want drugs."  
The doctor nodded and then glanced at her chart on the table. "Karalynn, by the looks of things, you should be ready to give birth in about an hour and a half. Maybe two. You're at transition now. That's why your contractions are getting stronger. You're at eight centimeters. You're almost there!"  
She took a step back and glanced at Maureen.  
"Try to help her relax." she said. "If she wants the epidural in a few minutes, call the nurse. I'll have someone waiting by just in case. But in the meantime... try to help her stay calm."  
Maureen gave her a blank stare and waved her crooked hand in the air.  
"I don't think that's possible at this point." she said curtly. "Can I get an epidural for my hand? It really hurts."  
The doctor shook her head and smiled, walking out.  
"Where's Mark?" Karalynn said, after the doctor was gone.  
"He's probably at the cafeteria, honey." Maureen said.   
She hesitantly began to wipe the other woman's forehead again with the towel and sighed with relief when Karalynn didn't strike her.   
"Do you want me to run and get him for you? I can get a nurse to stay with you while I...."  
"I don't want to be alone." Karalynn said. Tears flowed down her face and onto the pillow. "I want Mark."  
"I know, sweetie."  
"I'm not ready for this." Karalynn said suddenly. "I thought I was but I'm not. It hurts too much."  
"I know, pookie, but like the doctor said, you're doing a great job." Maureen said kindly. "I mean, you haven't jumped out the window or anything."  
"Thanks." Karalynn said sarcastically.  
"No, I meant that if I were feeling the kind of pain you're feeling now, I don't think I'd be able to handle it as well. You're doing great, Kara. I mean it. Aside from almost breaking my hand, I mean."  
Karalynn rolled her eyes but her lips twitched.  
"You're awesome for going through this." Maureen said. She put the towel down and stared directly into Karalynn's eyes. "And you're going to be an awesome mother."  
Karalynn smiled. She sniffed and wiped her eyes.  
"Stupid lamaze classes." she muttered. "I can't remember one thing I learned from those classes. Breathing exercises my ass. How am I supposed to do those stupid breathing techniques when I can't remember them because the pain is too...."  
"I remember them."  
Maureen looked up and smiled. She helped Karalynn turn over on her side and Mark walked towards them.  
He smiled down at Karalynn.  
"I'm sorry it took so long." he said. "But that's the first and last break I'll take from now on. Promise."  
Karalynn smiled and nodded. He stroked her cheek and kissed her forehead.  
"I ran into the doctor down the hallway and she told me that you're almost there, Kar." he said softly. "Yay."  
Karalynn giggled and Mark looked up at Maureen.  
"Thanks." he said. "For everything. You're officially off duty for the rest of the day. Everyone else is in the waiting room. Joanne bought you a fruit salad."  
Maureen winked up at him and walked towards the door, her stiletto heels clacking loudly on the floor.  
"No prob, Mark." she said lightly. She waved her hand at him. "If this falls off, I'll sue you. Superman has nothing over her when it comes to grip."  
When Maureen was gone, Mark sat down on the edge of her bed and leaned down.   
With one hand he played with her hair and with the other, held her hand.  
"Okay, Kar, remember relaxing breaths?" he said quietly into her ear. "You have to breathe slowly, in and out. Half your normal pace, Kar. Breathe in through your nose. Slowly. Hold it... okay, let it go through your mouth. Yeah, just like that, Kar."  
As Karalynn took deep breaths on her own, Mark pressed his lips against her cheek and closed his eyes.  
"I love you, Kar. You're doing great. I love you." 


End file.
